ETA: You could always marry the two fields and teach nutrition classes!

Agree with this! Do you know what to teach? If not, why not nutrition related subject?

Apparently I'm only few years older than you and still struggling with somewhat similar issue. Am a college junior right now, but not 100% sure this is what I want. I enjoy being in my major and my current job, but I still think that maybe, there is something else I will enjoy even more. When I chose my current path, I thought about something challenging, out of my comfort zone, and "something-that-I-imagine-myself-can-do-that-for-a-long-time-in-my-life/hopefully forever". Well, you know what I mean.

My family was okay with any options I considered that time, except medicine (more expensive, longer time to finish, you name it).

Choose something you love, Cara dear. Consider what your parent said but do not let them make the decision for you. It's your life, not theirs.
If you still not sure, try both. Learning is never a waste of time. Apply double major if you can manage that (okay, maybe I'm not the best adviser, lol) but only if you still love nutrition as well. Otherwise, being rebellious sometime can be necessary. Debate him, negotiate with him, anything that can make him understand your p.o.v. Good luck.

I graduated from university last year and I'd just like to offer my perspective: you can go into college with all the plans in the world and come out with absolutely no plans at all, and in the end it all works out for the best.

I decided I wanted to be an editor in a publishing company at a fairly young age--around the time I learned that authors don't make any money. In high school I worked in a bookstore gathering author and publisher contacts, went to college for creative writing, and completed an internship with a publishing company. When I got out, there were no publishing jobs to be found. I moved to a different country. I became a nanny. The little boy I was taking care of grew up and went to daycare. I found myself floundering again before I meandered back to my one true passion: writing. I'm now working as a freelance writer which somehow landed me a creative writing teaching job, which I never imagined myself doing but I'm quite enjoying it all the same.

In regards to your situation, a) never choose something your parents pick for you if you're not 100% behind it. I can't imagine being told by my parents that I couldn't do the major I wanted. This is your choice. When you go to university, you're an adult. Go for your passion. b) Your passion might not lead to the job you think it will. I think teaching is a versatile field. If you get into it and find that you don't want to be teaching in an elementary classroom year after year, keep your eyes peeled for other jobs. Maybe you could teach a variety of "extracurricular" classes for various age groups to keep things fresh and interesting for you. For instance, I remember doing scrapbooking lessons after school in the fourth grade. You could get creative. c) Depending on the type of person you are, financial security doesn't equal happiness. What your dad is probably aiming for is something that makes a bit more money that teaching does. If you're not happy in your field, I don't see how a bit of extra money is going to make it all better.

So I'm advising you to go to college for something that makes you happy. It's a long four years; I was stressed out enough doing something I liked. I can't imagine having done something I wasn't passionate about (biology, math, etc.)--I'm not sure I would have graduated! Just keep in mind that things might change after graduation and you're not locked into the precise job you went in for. There are other options and you might like them better than your initial plan.

Have you thought about combining your interests: teaching kids about nutrition?

Depending on what state you are in, look to see what the demand is for teachers. My sister is a teacher in the Southern California area, and has been laid off twice. She's just finished a long-term sub position and has no idea what she'll be doing in September. When she was working full-time, with a contract, she was able to make ends meet by living frugally, and save for the summer when she didn't have a paycheck coming in. She's been a substitute teacher for the past two years, and they are only able to make it because her (new) husband has a good job at a refinery.

In answer to your original question, when I was 11, there was a dumb terminal in the back of the classroom that we could play games on if we finished our work. I was fascinated by it, wanted to know more about how it worked. I found out, in my teen years, that computer science was a growing industry. I worked when I finished school because I couldn't afford college, and took classes at the local community college. I eventually was able to go to college full time. I have a dual major in computer science and economics. I loved computer programming. I retired when I had my first child (almost 10 years old now) and am thinking about what I want to do when my younger child is in school full time in a few years. Going back and retraining is a possibility.

You sound a lot like me when I was your age. I spent sleepless nights in high school agonizing over the perfect career path. I also put a ton of pressure on myself in college, pursuing something I thought I SHOULD do instead of pursuing something that I actually WANTED to do. I ended up having to go back to college for a second bachelor's degree because I was trying to please other people (family, professors) the first time around. My advice is to be open right now. I wish I would have spent my first year of college taking courses that interested me and exploring my options instead of worrying about my future career and what other people expected. I also recommend that you try to be a bit selfish right now and ignore the pressure you feel from other people. This is your life. You are the one who is going to have to wake up and go to work every morning. You should do something you love and are passionate about. This is an exciting time in your life. I hope you are able to take the opportunity to learn and grow. Once you get to college, you will find out about careers you never knew existed. Have fun and don't feel like you have to lock yourself into one thing right now. Best of luck!

In regards to your situation, a) never choose something your parents pick for you if you're not 100% behind it. I can't imagine being told by my parents that I couldn't do the major I wanted. This is your choice. When you go to university, you're an adult. Go for your passion... c) Depending on the type of person you are, financial security doesn't equal happiness. What your dad is probably aiming for is something that makes a bit more money that teaching does. If you're not happy in your field, I don't see how a bit of extra money is going to make it all better.

So I'm advising you to go to college for something that makes you happy. It's a long four years; I was stressed out enough doing something I liked. I can't imagine having done something I wasn't passionate about (biology, math, etc.)--I'm not sure I would have graduated! Just keep in mind that things might change after graduation and you're not locked into the precise job you went in for. There are other options and you might like them better than your initial plan.